Object
by Isabel Night
Summary: Fifteen years after the war with Talpa, Yuli gets surprise in his office inbox.


**Disclaimer**-I will never own Yuli, Mia, Anubis, the Ronin Warriors, the Three Dark Warlords, or Talpa. They belong to Sunrise, Nagoya Television, Graz Entertainment, and Ocean Group. I am making no money from the posting of this fan fiction, nor should I receive any money for such reasons.

_Object  
__Isabel Night_

Tokyo is a city that never sleeps; the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon that once controlled old Edo is now lost to a maze of artificial lighting, vehicles, and people always on the move. When the Moon God bathes in an inky blackness, adorned with the silver lights of heaven, the local Shinto Priest says that his sister shall return, welcoming the world with orange, yellow, and red hues. For now, a small group of bar hosts and waiters stay, knowing that soon, it will be the right moment for them to earn a living, seal a transaction, and add a few extra _yen_ to their bank accounts.

Evenings also allow many office complexes to give off their wan, ghostly light. These nocturnal hours often see men and women rushing around at the last minute, prepping for a meeting, finishing an overdo project, or preparing for a business trip. In one such office, a twenty-three year old male with black hair and blue eyes was working on the latter.

Yamano Yuli leaned back in his brown leather chair, sighing as he tried to ignore the late hours and lack of sleep that was making both his eyes water and burn. Fresh out of college and a recent addition to Yamanaki Incorporated, he had only worked in the company for two months until his supervisor, Yutakano Goro, came to him with a new assignment. One of Yuli's older coworkers had been in charge of an important transaction of nuclear reactor parts; a two-year deal forged between an American company, Bechtel, and their own. Everything was going smoothly, until the unnamed employee had a sudden heart attack. With the project's lead still in the hospital, someone had to step up and secure the deal.

The news of the heart attack, however, was nothing compared to the shock Yuli would receive when Mr. Yutakano walked into his office an hour later and asked him to finalize the job. His colleagues congratulated him, saying, "It is a great honor to seal such an important matter."

Despite their words of encouragement, Yuli had his doubts.

Two weeks after being surprised with his new task, which led to frustration, bent paperclips, unruly staplers, expensive pens that never wrote, and dealing with an American he could hardly understand, Yuli was now positive that he could complete the agreement. Two days from today he would catch an early flight from Narita International Airport, fly to Philadelphia International Airport, and then arrive at Bechtel's office; located within Philadelphia's city limits. There, he and his American counterparts would hammer out the final details, sign the necessary paperwork, and cement their new joint venture by going out to dinner. True, this trip would not be as exciting as the one he took to New York almost thirteen years ago, but maybe it would rekindle something exciting, like that one time—

"Yuli," a woman's voice called out, pulling him out of his thoughts and back into his modestly furnished office. "Are you feeling well? Your eyes look red and you've been a bit dazed all evening. Is that business with Bechtel still bothering you?"

"I'm fine Natsuko," Yuli sighed as he took in the view of his department's secretary. "This transaction is important to the company. If the Americans want to close in on a good price for these materials, then I have to give the contract my fullest attention."

"And working to the point of becoming sick?" Yamasaki Natsuko scolded in a motherly tone. "Just how many nights have you been working on this matter without eating or going back to your apartment? The Americans would be disappointed if you came to complete the exchange with a cold and clouded head."

"I don't need a mother, Natsuko." Yuli huffed, wishing the young woman would leave him alone and pester someone else. "Besides, what are you doing here this late in the evening? If this is one of your husband-hunting schemes, then my answer is—"

"What makes you think I'm husband-hunting?" Natsuko interrupted in false outrage, flashing the brightest smile she could manage. "The only reason I'm here is to deliver some mail."

"Someone wrote to me?" Yuli inquired; he had never gotten much mail in his office inbox; at least, not until he had agreed to take up the American transaction. "Who's the sender?"

"There was no return address on the envelope," she waved, glancing over at the object in her hand. "From what I can tell, someone wrote this letter for you fifteen years ago, yet never bothered to mail it."

"What do you mean fifteen years ago?" Yuli's eyes went wide, despite the burning sensation that still lingered there. It couldn't be possible; fifteen years ago, a demon lord named Talpa had declared war on the Mortal World. Had it not been for five brave young men, the Ronin Warriors, the evil spirit would have succeeded. Who would be sending him mail from that horrible time?

"I mean that someone was supposed to send you this letter fifteen years ago, but it never reached you."

"Let me see," Yuli demanded, snatching what he thought was a correspondence from Natsuko's grasp.

Using one of his pens, Yuli opened the parcel. It was not a company letter, but a 4 x 6 inch greeting card. Ignoring Natsuko's huffed exit from his office, Yuli set the card on his desk.

After a few seconds of silence, he picked the card up again. It didn't look like anything Mia, his parents, or the guys would've sent, but burning the midnight oil, mixed with the harsh lighting, made it hard for him to recognize any minor details.

Yet, he could see the large kanji drawn on the center cover. Touching the black ink, it smudged. This had to be a handmade card. "Nin," Yuli murmured, recognizing the lettering and looking slightly confused. _'Why does this card have the word "endure" on its front?'_

There was no traditional greeting; all that was on the inside was a reprinted poem. The words tugged at Yuli's mind for a bit, but prevented him from recognizing the source. "The waves cap in white, as the land is washed away," he read, skimming over the rest of the poem until he came to the last three lines.

"My duty is to those I love, my love is given freely. If I can endure pain to embrace my goal, the means have shaped me; molded in my own way."

Yuli recognized the wording; this was one of Anubis' writings! Now he remembered! Anubis had read this, along with several other poems, the day before they entered the Dynasty, to fight the final battle!

"I know this poem," Yuli whispered, trembling. "Mia was cooking in the kitchen while Anubis was standing by one of the large windows, looking at the sky. I had walked into the living room and found the book he had finished. I tried to read some of the poems, but they were hard for me understand. I later told Anubis that the book was confusing, but he just chuckled."

"He told me, 'Poetry is one of the classical arts that helps polish a person's mind.' After dinner, he read some of his poems to me while we were in the sitting room. I can't believe that any of his works have survived."

It had been an innocent time; the last day Anubis was alive. Unfortunately, that security changed the moment he decided to teleport all three of them to the Nether World, and sacrifice himself to save Lady Kayura and those ingrates, the Three Dark Warlords. Yuli was eight years old at the time, but the war, coupled with Anubis' early death, forced him to mature. After all, how many eight year olds understood that bad things happen in war, and if you didn't rise to the occasion then everyone you knew or loved could die?

After the Ronin Warriors, affectionately known as his "big brothers" had won, Yuli made a vow never to take life for granted. However, as he moved through high school, college, and his new job, it seemed like the meaning of his promise had eroded with time. Was this card a reminder; Anubis' way of repeating the promise he made? After all, Anubis taught him to guard those who were precious to him, and if he could do that, then—

"Yuli," Natsuko interrupted, peering into young man's office again. "Do you want some coffee? I just brewed a fresh pot."

"No thanks; I think I'll be fine until morning."

_THE END_

**End Notes**-I would like to thank all my Beta Readers for looking over this story. Without you, this story would have never left the ground.


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